Misguided attempt to fix botch-up blow-out

A Misguided and sluggish attempt to address a blow-out in the number of medical botch-ups shows how out-of-touch the National Government has become, Labour's ACC spokesperson Sue Moroney says.

“Two weeks ago Labour exposed that the number of treatment injuries had nearly doubled in the last four years. The Government has now announced an inquiry to find out why it has happened.

“I raised this problem with the ACC Minister way back in June and she promised that work was underway then. Now, she still claims not to know why the number of claims for health both-ups has exploded.

“So the Government doesn’t know what the problem is and yet it’s throwing $15-20 million to fix it.

“Meanwhile, the Government has cut $1.7 billion from health over the past five years putting pressure of staff and resources.

“It is obvious the Government’s own cost-cutting has contributed to the increase in treatment injuries and no amount of white-washing inquiries will disguise that.

“This explosion in treatment injuries doesn't just cost New Zealand in terms of dollars, it also costs us in terms of unnecessary and avoidable misery for those who go to our health system for help and come out with a new injury instead,” Sue Moroney says.